Circular Economy Policies in China and the EU A Comparative Analysis with the Extended Policy Mix Concept

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Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
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Övrigt, MSc
Publicerad
2024
Författare
Knothe, Robert
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This study compares a set of Circular Economy (CE) policies from China and the EU using qualitative text analysis. Therefore, the study adopts the Extended Policy Mix Concept (EPMC) by Rogge and Reichardt (2016) and develops an EPMC for CE based on a literature review of CE concepts. With this framework, 13 policy documents i.a., the European Green Deal, the 2015 and 2020 EU CE Action Plan, the Chinese National 12th to 14th Five Year- Plans and the Circular Economy Promotion Law, are selected, coded, and compared regarding the policy strategy objectives, limitations, and the policy instrument goals, types, and purposes. I find that both regions share most of the strategic objectives in their CE ambitions, first and foremost the objective of green economic growth, but also improvement of environmental quality and resource efficiency. In their policy instruments, China and the EU both define reduction, re-utilisation, recycling, and recovery as goals. Differences occur in the importance of certain policy fields: the EU focuses on product-level action and critical raw materials, while China is more concerned with agriculture, land use, and water issues. Also, the two regions differ in their approach towards recovery. Both utilise similar economic, regulatory, and informative policy instruments, which include among others: public procurement for environmentally-friendly products, labelling of products, investment and financing of CErelated projects and enterprises, establishment of product standards, extended producer responsibility schemes, value-added tax, and subsidy schemes. However, Chinese policies employ a unique instrument of demonstration and experimentation. The EU differs in its approach towards consumers, in that consumption reduction is not addressed, while China incorporates a more holistic approach towards an “ecological society”, that aims for frugality, including in its citizens’ lifestyles.
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Ämne/nyckelord
Circular Economy , Policy , China , EU , Extended Policy Mix Concept , Qualitative Text Analysis , Green Deal , Circular Economy Action Plan , Circular Economy Promotion Law , Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China
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